Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Sport
Richard Martin

Costa and Morata boost Atletico attack before Barca showdown

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group F - Malta v Spain - Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta - March 26, 2019 Spain's Alvaro Morata celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid were handed a late boost ahead of their top-of-the-table showdown at La Liga leaders Barcelona on Saturday as strikers Alvaro Morata and Diego Costa were both passed fit for the game after recovering from injuries.

"Good news! Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata have received the medical all-clear and will be available for Barca-Atleti," the club said on its official Twitter account on Saturday.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Atletico Madrid v Villarreal - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - February 24, 2019 Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa holds the match ball REUTERS/Javier Barbancho

Costa hurt his hamstring in last Saturday's 4-0 win at Alaves and missed Tuesday's 2-0 win over Girona although medical tests ruled out a torn muscle. Morata sprained his ankle against Girona and looked certain to miss the game with Barca.

Atletico trail Barca by eight points at the top of La Liga with eight games remaining and realistically have to win at the Nou Camp, where they have not earned a victory since 2006, to stay in the title race.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.